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Generally Speaking

All generalizations are false, including this one.

Mark Twain

Brittany Graham Photography

I went out to a local Thai restaurant a few weeks ago. I brought home the leftovers, and when I ate them the next day, ended up getting food poisoning. I decided that this was very dangerous to the health and safety of the general populace in my area, so I decided to take action. I’ve started a petition to ban Thai restaurants in my city. Public safety comes first. That’s why I’m including any Chinese, Japanese and Cambodian restaurants in my proposition as well: I’m mean, they’re basically the same food, right? And I’d rather nobody had to experience what I went through. It’s a known fact that people are more likely to get food poisoning from these styles of cooking than any other type of cuisine. I’m going to include Indian food in the ban as well. Better safe than sorry.

If you’re reading this and shaking your head, wondering if I’ve gone bonkers, you know how I feel now reading about breed specific legislation.

And both manage to avoid all rational thought.

Yes, technically I did get sick from some Thai food that I ate…but my fridge malfunctioned and the food was left at room temperature for waaaay too long. Essentially, because I did not harbor the food properly, it turned against me. I didn’t take care to ensure it was in a safe environment, and against all precautions, ate it. And paid the price for it. However, I’m pretty sure that if I had chosen to eat the meatloaf that was left in similar conditions, I would have ended up with the same results.

I have indeed gotten food poisoning through no fault of my own – twice. But considering how often I eat out (2x or more per week), having food poisoning a couple times in my life is a pretty amazing track record.

Let’s stay positive about this.

Claiming that a breed of dog is inherently “bad” is about as sane and rational as declaring an entire cuisine poisonous based upon one bad experience, regardless of who is at fault. So I question the mentality of banning an entire breed, let alone lumping several in together because they “look alike”.

Currently, in the city of Lakewood, Ohio, the law reads:

”As used in this section, “pit bull dog” means any Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Pit Bull Terrier or American Staffordshire Terrier breed of dog, any dog of mixed breed which has the appearance and characteristics of being predominantly of such breeds, any dog commonly known as a pit bull, pit bull dog or pit bull terrier; or a combination of any of these breeds. ” – LAKEWOOD, OH., ORDINANCES § 506.03(b)

Excuse me….did we just legislate against something using the word “appearance”? Zucchini may have the appearance of a cucumber, but it ain’t the same thing. (As a matter of fact, my abhorrence for zucchini runs so deeply I had to spell it 5 times before finally running to spellcheck for assistance.)

Zuchini…zuchinni? Abomination That Masquerades As A Cucumber?

So lawmakers have opened that horrible floodgate of legislation based on appearance – one I thought we had finally closed years ago. Do we really want to re-open that can of worms? I didn’t think so.

Pit bulls (which are actually many breeds lumped together to form a “group”) have plenty of faults: most of which arise from the fact that they are dogs. They are just like every other dog. They can be sweet, they can sometimes be annoying. They require Piloting, Activity and Work (or what we refer to as “PAW“) just like every other dog. Mostly they’re interested in whatever it is that you are eating, and whether or not they can get a belly rub from you. They will defend, they will run away. It all depends upon the dog.

Members of Lakewood City Council are starting to realize the toxic nature of these laws. jSam O’Leary, councilman for the City of Lakewood, has this to say:

“Lakewood’s BSL unfairly punishes a breed for the actions of irresponsible owners. Lakewood should hold the responsible party accountable: the owners of a vicious dog. When we legislate based on fear instead of the facts, we end up with policies that are ineffective, unfair, and fail to protect our neighbors and pets. Lakewood’s repeal of BSL is long overdue.”

I’m against judging a dog by their looks. I like judging dogs by their actions. Based upon who they are, not what they look like. I believe in accurate breed profiling. But most of all, I believe that the sum is worth more than the parts. Case by case determination of what constitutes a “vicious dog”. Repercussions for irresponsible owners. I favor education over legislation any day.

Unfortunately pitties are still banned in Lakewood. We have started up a group called All Breeds Lakewood that is designed to fight this. Please check out the page for information and resources, and thank you for supporting pitties in our cities!